Freedom from the fear of man.

I have been considering the importance of obedience. There are lessons from Saul’s life that serve as an example and a warning for us.

Saul was chosen and appointed King over Israelites. He was the Lord’s anointed with all the promises that go with that call. His future looked bright. God had commanded him to lead an army to go and punish and destroy the nation of the Amalekites.

1Samuel 15:1-2
Samuel said to Saul, "I am the one the LORD sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the LORD. This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt.

God’s anger towards the Amalekites went back five hundred years when the children of Israel were fleeing Egypt. Moses was leading the people out of slavery out of Egypt and the new nation was extremely vulnerable. The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. If God had not intervened Israel would have been destroyed. Five hundred years later the Amalekites were still launching raids and attacking Israel.

Saul received the word of the Lord and proceeded to move against this enemy. He summoned the men -- two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah, and mustered them at Telaim. Saul was confident about the out come! They went to war and were victorious.

Yet there was a problem, God had given Saul very specific instructions that the people should not take the spoils of war. Yet that is what Saul allowed them do. Saul even went so far as to set up a monument in his own honor. It is amazing to read the account in the bible in 1Samual 15:19. When confronted with his disobedience and the fact that he had not done the specific things that was asked of him, Saul began to rationalize.

1 Sam 15:19-35
Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?" "But I did obey the LORD," Saul said. "I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal." But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king." NIV

Ultimately Saul was caught in the snare of the fear of man. I have come to the conclusion that there are some specific characteristics of those who are caught up with the fear of man.

1. Pride - The need to proclaim our accomplishments. Insecurity is another manifestation. There he has set up a monument in his own honor 1 Sam 15:12

2. Self deception - I have carried out the LORD's instructions." 1 Sam 15:13
Saul believed that there was wiggle room that God’s nature was different than what it is. (idolatry)

3. Blaming--"I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. "The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites;” 1 Sam 15:15

4. Self Justification-"I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. 1 Sam15: 20 Part of human nature is to grade on a curve, to make excuses or to rationalize. The command was clear but yet Saul felt he had obeyed even when he clearly didn’t.

5. Lack of responsibility--"I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; 1 Sam 15:30

Many times if we were honest we can identify areas of our own life that when we know what is right and what God expects from us, but we like Saul build strongholds of rationalization and miss the obvious. It becomes more important to us to maintain an image or follow the crowd. The grace of God gives us the liberty to follow God with our whole heart. Here are some of the ways I have discovered to cultivate obedience

1. Understand God’s true nature. He does not wink at sin, all sin has consequence.
God is holy; the grace he gives was purchased at a terrible price.

2. Cultivate the fear of the Lord.

1 Pet 1:17-19
Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,
but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
(NIV)

3. Know that God is for us.

4. Meditate on God’s grace and love.

It is my conclusion that obedience flows from a grateful heat that has experienced the love of God. One that recognizes the influence of God on my heart and responds not as one who is under law but on that but on who has experienced life.